Chaos in Fort Portal rally: Two dead, cars and fans attacked

A rally event in Fort Portal ended in tragedy and chaos on its second day after a motorcyclist rammed into a car carrier transporting a rally car, killing two people instantly. The incident occurred in the final stages of the rally as fans and drivers were returning to Kampala.

The carrier, which belonged to two-wheel rally driver Godfrey Kirumira, was reportedly moving at a reduced speed due to its heavy load. According to eyewitnesses, the motorcyclist, who was navigating a corner at high speed, collided with the carrier, resulting in a fatal crash.

Following the accident, local residents reacted violently, pelting rally vehicles and fans with stones. Witnesses reported that the attackers targeted nearly every car they encountered including rally cars and support vehicles blaming them for the deadly crash.

Among the victims were Kevin Bebeto, Faisal Kayira, and Isaac Sozi, while several other rally participants and fans sustained injuries. One driver, Kayira, had his car’s windshields shattered and described the horrific ordeal:

“We were driving through a valley road when suddenly, stones started flying from the hills. It felt like an ambush. I feared for my life, especially seeing families with children caught in the chaos.”

Another rally enthusiast, identified only as Herbert, was struck by a rock and injured while trying to flee the area.

“The stones were coming from every direction. I remember my friend crying, telling me not to get out of the car,” he recalled while receiving medical attention.

This is not the first time rally drivers and fans have faced hostility from locals following accidents. Many in the motorsport community are now calling for urgent intervention, warning that repeated attacks pose a serious threat to the future of rallying in Uganda.

Some fans have even urged the Federation of Motorsport Clubs of Uganda (FMU) to consider blacklisting Fort Portal as a rally venue, citing persistent challenges:

Poor road conditions, with many routes left unmaintained for years, causing vehicles to get stuck en route to events.
Security concerns, with reports of widespread thuggery despite the region’s reputation as a tourism hotspot.

Efforts to reach FMU officials for a comment were unsuccessful by the time of publication, as no official statement had been released.

Uganda boasts one of the largest motorsport fan bases in Africa, with the highest number of rally participants on the continent. The sport also plays a key role in boosting domestic tourism, attracting thousands of fans to different regions each year.

However, fans warn that if such incidents persist, Uganda risks losing not only its standing in African motorsport but also the revenue and visibility it brings to local tourism.

“Without proper safety measures and community engagement, we will lose fans, sponsors, and tourism numbers and that affects everyone, not just the sport,” one fan said.